rayz@altair.csustan.edu (R. L. Zarling) (06/04/91)
In response to numerous requests, I have posted my revision of Bob Leivian's
Less1.3 (dubbed Less1.3Z) to ab20.larc.nasa.gov (128.155.23.64). It is
file Less13Z.lzh, currently in directory /incoming/amiga.
The ReadMe file from that posting follows:
------------
This is a revision of a port (by Bob Leivian) of version 73 of the "Less"
pager from *nix (Fred Fish #149).
Bob Leivian's port of 'Less' to the Amiga has long been my favorite
Ascii file reader. It does multiple files, pipes, forward and backward
scrolling, and searching. I also appreciate that it opens its own window,
so I can look at a file without losing context on my shell screen.
Alas, it was however faulted. Mainly in that it didn't run on my new
Amiga 3000! As it turned out, this was just the incentive I needed to
open up the code and fix everything I always wanted it to do.
The current version runs under both 1.3 and 2.0 (and presumably earlier
versions as well--untested). It has been tested on an accelerated 1000
and 2000, and on my 3000.
The current version opens a full-sized window on your workbench screen,
and displays as much text from the first input file as it can using the
standard system font. It is smart enough to adjust these values even
if you resize the window using the resizing gadget. It responds to
the standard window close gadget. It recognizes most ANSI commands to
set underlining, italics, boldfacing, or inverse video, in additon to the
backspace protocols for boldfacing and underlining that Less has always
recognized.
Of course, I couldn't resist a few minor command/option additions. This
Less allows you to scroll backward in the file by one line using the
backspace key--a sort of logical consequence, IMHO, of the carriage
return key's use for scrolling forward by single lines. The arrow keys
(cursor up, down, left and right) are active: up and down move you
through the document by pages; left and right by lines; shifted left
and right by half-pages. The HELP key displays a help message.
Half-page moves used to be fixed at 10 lines (although alterable by
prefixing a u or d command with a different number). With resizable
screens, this didn't seem to make much sense any more, so I also have
Less automatically compute the half-page size on startup and resizing.
Note that the old -z only holds its value until the window is resized.
I removed two "features" of the old Amiga port: Less1.3Z no longer
internally expands wildcarded filenames, and it no longer prints files
on the system printer. I think both of these functions are better done
by other means; e.g. SKsh or some other shell for wildcard expansion,
and copying to prt: or using one of the many printer utilities to get
printouts. Less is a good pager; it doesn't need to be bogged down and
fattened up with random other capability.
Workbench support is expanded to handle multiple selection of files to
be viewed. You cannot enter -options from workbench like you can from
CLI, but Less *does* act upon whatever options are set in the environment
variable LESS. Someone should probably add tooltype support someday.
Less1.3Z was compiled with SAS-C (formerly Lattice) v5.10a.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
ReadMe from original Less1.3 follows:
This is an updated version of "LESS" from Fish #92
It fixes several bugs and has some nice new features
* It is a "better more" , that is you can go forward or backward, search,
go to line numbers, or a percentage of the file, <space> moves forward
just like more, however "b" backs up and many more options are available
(type h for help)
* It now works with interlaced screens.
* It has "a print the file I am looking at" feature with several style
options such as line numbers page breaks, draft/letter mode etc.
The command is & (ampersand -- sorry I am running out of letters)
(note! I couldn't get a EXECUTE("RUN less -p filename") to work
when called from the workbench so it only prints in background
from CLI. If any one can make that work let me know!
Enter the first letter of each option, if any
For example 'nh#60|80t8^l', prints the file with numbered lines.
headers, 60 lines per page, 80 columns per line, tab stops
every 8 positions, control chars (if any are in the file) are
printed in ^X format, and the file is printed in letterquality mode
the options are...
numberedlines headers ^ctrl proportional
letterquality draft wide uncompressed
#<num> of rows, |<num> of columns, t<num> tabstop
* you can also print a file directly by "RUN less -p filename" if you want
* it handles roff file underline and boldface better now
* the screen paint options have been changed to c and C (from p),
to match UN*X 'more'. if you like there is a paint in place option
that is cute, the default is clear and paint from top which is fastest
(esp. on 48 line interlaced) but you can use scroll from bottom mode also
* all changes from UN*X 'less' up to rev 73 are included
* a new option -z<num> allows you to set scroll page size to some size
other than a screenful if you want.
* there is a '' command that returns you to where you were before a
'<letter> command
* you can now set numbered options correctly
that is it for now and "THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT..."
donations, comments and suggestions can be sent to:
Bob Leivian ...!sun!sunburn!dover!leivian
2702 W. Curry St.
Chandler, AZ 85224 (602)820-6859peterk@cbmger.UUCP (Peter Kittel GERMANY) (06/04/91)
In article <1991Jun3.193307.2143@csustan.csustan.edu> rayz@altair.csustan.edu (R. L. Zarling) writes: >In response to numerous requests, I have posted my revision of Bob Leivian's >Less1.3 (dubbed Less1.3Z) to ab20.larc.nasa.gov (128.155.23.64). If this version still cancels the uppermost bit, thus crippling all the international characters, then I must still call it crap! Such software is really INSULTING these days. If that "feature" is removed, then please apologize for my harsh comment; if not: FLAME on Bob. I'm very serious with this. -- Best regards, Dr. Peter Kittel // E-Mail to \\ Only my personal opinions... Commodore Frankfurt, Germany \X/ {uunet|pyramid|rutgers}!cbmvax!cbmger!peterk
rayz@altair.csustan.edu (R. L. Zarling) (06/05/91)
In article <1286@cbmger.UUCP> peterk@cbmger.UUCP (Peter Kittel GERMANY) writes: >In article <1991Jun3.193307.2143@csustan.csustan.edu> rayz@altair.csustan.edu (R. L. Zarling) writes: >>In response to numerous requests, I have posted my revision of Bob Leivian's >>Less1.3 (dubbed Less1.3Z) to ab20.larc.nasa.gov (128.155.23.64). > >If this version still cancels the uppermost bit, thus crippling all the >international characters, then I must still call it crap! Such software >is really INSULTING these days. If that "feature" is removed, then >please apologize for my harsh comment; if not: FLAME on Bob. I'm very >serious with this. Quite right. I had, in fact, hoped to remedy that "little" ideosyncracy as part of my revisions. Unfortunately, the high-bit stuff is pretty deeply structured into the program. It would, I think, require a pretty complete re-write to fix it. This is *not* Bob's fault (or mine!)--he only did the port. The original program design is of course quite old--long before any kind of general awareness of such issues in this country at least. What we need is someone to do a complete rewrite. A version written specifically for the Amiga would also undoubtedly be several times faster. >Best regards, Dr. Peter Kittel // E-Mail to \\ Only my personal opinions... >Commodore Frankfurt, Germany \X/ {uunet|pyramid|rutgers}!cbmvax!cbmger!peterk --Ray Zarling rayz@csustan.edu
kherron@ms.uky.edu (Kenneth Herron) (06/05/91)
rayz@altair.csustan.edu (R. L. Zarling) writes: >>>Less1.3 (dubbed Less1.3Z) to ab20.larc.nasa.gov (128.155.23.64). >> >>If this version still cancels the uppermost bit, thus crippling all the >>international characters, then I must still call it crap! >Quite right. I had, in fact, hoped to remedy that "little" ideosyncracy >as part of my revisions. Unfortunately, the high-bit stuff is pretty >deeply structured into the program. >What we need is someone to do a complete rewrite. A version written >specifically for the Amiga would also undoubtedly be several times faster. Version 170 and up of the "real" less include a configurable character set ability; it no longer strips high bits and can be told which characters should be printed as-is, which to treat as control characters, etc. Perhaps someone should re-port this version...? -- Kenneth Herron kherron@ms.uky.edu University of Kentucky +1 606 257 2975 Department of Mathematics "So this won't be a total loss, can you make it so guys get to throw their mothers-in-law in?" "Sure, why not?"
jbickers@templar.actrix.gen.nz (John Bickers) (06/06/91)
Quoted from <1286@cbmger.UUCP> by peterk@cbmger.UUCP (Peter Kittel GERMANY): > In article <1991Jun3.193307.2143@csustan.csustan.edu> rayz@altair.csustan.edu (R. L. Zarling) writes: > >In response to numerous requests, I have posted my revision of Bob Leivian's > >Less1.3 (dubbed Less1.3Z) to ab20.larc.nasa.gov (128.155.23.64). > > If this version still cancels the uppermost bit, thus crippling all the There are scads of text displayers anyways. The old "less" used on early Fish disks was real easy to crash, I seem to recall. Something about hitting a cursor key a couple of times... I had to do a comparison of lots of the things once, and in terms of functionality/size, CBM's "more" came out on top. One very (amazingly) small program, q-something-or-other, squeezed a lot in too, though. > Best regards, Dr. Peter Kittel // E-Mail to \\ Only my personal opinions... -- *** John Bickers, TAP, NZAmigaUG. jbickers@templar.actrix.gen.nz *** *** "Endless variations, make it all seem new" - Devo. ***